New Jersey to use new devices following drunk driving convictions

Jul 15, 2014

New Jersey to use new devices following drunk driving convictions

Posted By
Brickfield & Donahue

If both the New Jersey State Senate and Gov. Chris Christie approve a bill
that would require ignition interlocks for most drunk driving convictions,
New Jersey will have one of the tougher responses to drunk driving in
the country. As it is, if someone in Newark were to be arrested on suspicion
of driving while intoxicated, he or she would face a difficult road, but
the proposed law would require even people convicted of a first offense
to install the equivalent of a breath test in their vehicles. Not only
is this wildly inconvenient, but it is also expensive to maintain.

An ignition interlock device requires drivers to pass an alcohol breath
test to use the vehicle and will not move if the driver cannot pass. Many
models also make the driver take follow-up tests while the vehicle is
in motion. Often, ignition interlock devices will consider a driver to
have failed a breath test if there is even a marginal amount of alcohol
on the breath, far less than what is actually illegal.

The proposed bill has already made it out of the State Assembly and has
been sent to the Senate for consideration. Should it pass, even those
convicted of a first offense will have to install an ignition interlock
for a minimum of three months. This, of course, also follows a license
suspension. Depending on what the driver's blood alcohol concentration
was at the time of his or her arrest, the time the ignition interlock
must remain installed could be significantly longer.

One of the many reasons why the ignition interlock is a hindrance is because
it can be quite expensive to install and maintain. Most of the time, an
individual must pay for it to be installed, pay a monthly rental fee to
use the device and a monthly charge for maintenance. If this bill passes,
the cost of a drunk driving conviction may jump considerably.

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